US officials bar Pakistan lawyer from drone summit

The US has refused a visa to a Pakistani lawyer representing victims of CIA drone strikes, effectively blocking his appearance at an International Drone Summit in Washington DC on April 28.

Organisers insist that the testimony of lawyer Shahzad Akbar, who provides legal aid to victims of drone strikes, is crucial to the summit.

He said in a statement on Thursday: "The CIA, which operates the drones in Pakistan, does not want anyone challenging their killing spree.

"But the American people have the right to know."

The drone summit aims to bring transparency to the CIA's secret drone assassination programme, which has killed hundreds of people in Pakistan with no due process and no accountability.

Source: http://www.morningstaronline.co.uk/news/content/view/full/117766


I couldn't agree more that the American people have a right to know about the massacres of numerous civilians and suspects committed by drone strikes on a weekly, if not daily, basis.

What could be the reason(s) for denying Mr. Akbar a visa to speak at the drone summit?